Mapo Doufu (Pock-marked Ma's Bean Curd)

by Ellen Schrecker
(from Mrs. Chiang's Szechwan Cookbook)

Put the tree ears in a small bowl and pour the boiling water over
them. Let them soak for about 15 minutes, until they become
soft and gelatinous.

3" piece fresh ginger

5 scallions

Peel the ginger, then chop it into tiny pieces, about the size of a
match head. Clean the scallions, then chop them, both the white part
and about one-third of the green, into pieces slightly larger than
the ginger, about 1/4" in diameter.

(1 Tbsp. of the ginger)

(1 scallion's worth of the scallions)

0.5 lb. ground pork or beef

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 Tbsp. Chinese rice wine or cooking sherry

If a food processor is not available, march-chop the ground meat for
a finer texture. Add 1 Tbsp. of the chopped ginger and one
scallion's worth of the chopped scallions to the ground meat, along
with the soy sauce, sesame oil, and wine, and mix thoroughly.
If a food processor is available, process the ginger, scallion,
ground meat, soy sauce, sesame oil, and wine all together. Set aside
the meat mixture for about 30 minutes.

8 or more cloves garlic (for a yield of 2 Tbsp. chopped
garlic)

(the remaining chopped ginger)

Peel the garlic, then chop it coarsely. Combine it with the rest of
the chopped ginger and mince them together until they reach the
consistency of a thick paste (or use a food processor). Mrs. Chiang
insists that the finer you chop the garlic and ginger the more
interesting the finished dish will be.

6 fresh water chestnuts (optional) or jicama

Cut the dark skin off the outside of the water chestnuts, then chop
them into pieces about the size of a match head. Jicama may be
substituted for the water chestnuts.

2 tsp. cornstarch

1/4 C. water

Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and
set aside.

2 lbs. fresh bean curd

Cut the bean curd into 1/2" cubes.

(tree ears)

Drain the tree ears, then rinse them and pick them over carefully to
remove the tiny impurities, like little pieces of wood, that might
still be embedded in them. Then mince them into little pieces the
size of a match head.

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

(meat mixture)

Just before you are ready to begin cooking, add the cornstarch
to the meat mixture and blend thoroughly.

Cooking

6 Tbsp. peanut oil

Heat your wok or pan over a moderately high
flame for about 15 seconds, then add the oil.
It should be hot
enough to cook with when the first small bubbles begin to form and a
few small wisps of smoke appear.

(garlic and ginger)

When the oil is ready, quickly throw in the garlic and ginger and
vigorously stir-fry them over a medium flame for about
30 seconds, using your cooking shovel or spoon
to scoop the ingredients
from the sides of the pan and then stir them around in the middle, so
they won't burn or stick.

1.5 tsp. hot pepper flakes in oil

1 Tbsp. hot pepper paste

(water chestnuts)

(tree ears)

2 Tbsp. oyster sauce (optional)

Continue to stir-fry while you add the hot pepper flakes in oil, hot
pepper paste, water chestnuts, tree ears, and oyster sauce. Then
stir-fry for another 30 seconds.

(meat mixture)

Add the meat mixture and keep stirring it as it cooks, taking special
care to break up any large chunks of meat that stick together.

(bean curd)

(scallions)

1 tsp. granulated sugar

After the meat has cooked for about 1 minute
and has lost its pinkish color, throw in the
bean curd and the chopped scallions and stir-fry everything
together. Then add the sugar and stir-fry for another
30 seconds.

3 Tbsp. soy sauce

1/3 C. water

Pour in the soy sauce and the water and wait for the
liquid to boil, then let the contents of the pan cook over
a moderate flame for 2 minutes more.

1/2 tsp. ground, roasted Szechwan peppercorns

Add the peppercorns and stir thoroughly.

(cornstarch and water)

At this point, determine how much sauce there is in the
pan. If the dish seems watery, you should get ready to add
the cornstarch and water mixture that you have already
prepared. But if there does not seem to be much liquid,
you won't need the cornstarch.

Make sure that you stir up the cornstarch mixture before you pour it
into the pan, then stir-fry everything over a medium flame for
a few seconds until the sauce becomes clear and
slightly thickened.

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 tsp. salt, or to taste

Add the sesame oil and stir it in thoroughly; then, just before
serving, taste the dish for salt. It should taste sharp and clear,
with just a hint of sweetness. Stir the salt in and serve.